What makes a big buck

[time2hunt]

https://www.boone-crockett.org/scorechart/add/mule_deer
Start with 22-24 main beam and 15-18 inch mass a side . Punch the number and see what it takes to make 180.


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[phildobaggins]

THe newest trick besides long arming is the angle with a cellphone camera.  They do great about enhancing "depth perception and size"     I'll be very vague as to not upset anybody, but there was a nice buck that showed up on here this year and everyone was through the roof on size.   I dont think they paid much attention to ear length, etc.    I'd still love to see that buck in person or the scoresheet because eventhough I thought it was a nice deer, I think it got blown out of the park in score.   Curiosity wasnt worth raining on someone's parade even though the question was legit.   So beware of the cell phone pic.

I can think of a couple 

[Karl Blanchard]

That buck in your avatar is 130 hunter399

I shoot 130 bucks all day.
Big is different for everyone.

wasn't insinuating he was small or big, simply answering your question of what he will score.

[Jimmy33]

Big (170-muley, 140-whitetail) or ugly ( any size really as long as the horns are funky)


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[Ricochet]

THe newest trick besides long arming is the angle with a cellphone camera.  They do great about enhancing "depth perception and size"     I'll be very vague as to not upset anybody, but there was a nice buck that showed up on here this year and everyone was through the roof on size.   I dont think they paid much attention to ear length, etc.    I'd still love to see that buck in person or the scoresheet because eventhough I thought it was a nice deer, I think it got blown out of the park in score.   Curiosity wasnt worth raining on someone's parade even though the question was legit.   So beware of the cell phone pic.

Isn't it the male prerogative to overestimate size?  It's always educational to post pics of bucks or bulls with a known official score and see how close people can guess.

[greenhead_killer]

I think mass for me, is probably the number one thing I look for. If I see mass, I don’t care what it scores, I’m trying to kill it. More than likely, he’s an older mature deer at that stage and I’m great with that. Second thing I look for is age/body size/shape/etc. I’d rather shoot an older low scoring deer if/when possible. Might be the nicest death they’ll ever see

[huntnnw]

How big is this WT.
I guess how big will he be.
It harder to judge than you may think.
Now keep in mind ,bigger buck this time of year will be branching.
Eye guards will be bigger,on a big buck for this time of year.
This guy is kinda small,but still decent.
Probably 3 year old ,maybe.

That deer is 1 or a very little 2 yr old. A whitetail buck that scores over 150” when he’s done will be branching at G3’s by early June . I’ve gotten to watch a ton of big bucks grow over the last 30 years. Here is example of a big buck.. June 4.. this bucked grossed in 170’s

[huntnnw]

How big is this WT.
I guess how big will he be.
It harder to judge than you may think.
Now keep in mind ,bigger buck this time of year will be branching.
Eye guards will be bigger,on a big buck for this time of year.
This guy is kinda small,but still decent.
Probably 3 year old ,maybe.

That deer is 1 or a very little 2 yr old. A whitetail buck that scores over 150” when he’s done will be branching at G3’s by early June . I’ve gotten to watch a ton of big bucks grow over the last 30 years. Here is example of a big buck.. June 4.. this bucked grossed in 170’s. Your genetically blessed deer get shot usually well before being mature , because people get caught up in inches. I’ve seen 2 yr old whitetails that were very decent 5x5’s and those bucks were on their way to being huge bucks at 5 plus

[hunter399]

How big is this WT.
I guess how big will he be.
It harder to judge than you may think.
Now keep in mind ,bigger buck this time of year will be branching.
Eye guards will be bigger,on a big buck for this time of year.
This guy is kinda small,but still decent.
Probably 3 year old ,maybe.

That deer is 1 or a very little 2 yr old. A whitetail buck that scores over 150” when he’s done will be branching at G3’s by early June . I’ve gotten to watch a ton of big bucks grow over the last 30 years. Here is example of a big buck.. June 4.. this bucked grossed in 170’s. Your genetically blessed deer get shot usually well before being mature , because people get caught up in inches. I’ve seen 2 yr old whitetails that were very decent 5x5’s and those bucks were on their way to being huge bucks at 5 plus

Not every habitat+genics is gonna be same as your spot.
Just saying.

[Ironhead]

190" of bone, or a big nasty looking mature buck with great mass.
 I personally looked at well over 1400 bucks in Washington last year on some pretty good winter range and never saw one that even sniffed that score. I was also in the Wyoming summer range last year and saw one mid 190"s the first morning I was there. Just depends on the area, some have everything they need to grow giant bucks others have what it takes to grow nice bucks.

[buckfvr]

How big is this WT.
I guess how big will he be.
It harder to judge than you may think.
Now keep in mind ,bigger buck this time of year will be branching.
Eye guards will be bigger,on a big buck for this time of year.
This guy is kinda small,but still decent.
Probably 3 year old ,maybe.

That deer is 1 or a very little 2 yr old. A whitetail buck that scores over 150” when he’s done will be branching at G3’s by early June . I’ve gotten to watch a ton of big bucks grow over the last 30 years. Here is example of a big buck.. June 4.. this bucked grossed in 170’s. Your genetically blessed deer get shot usually well before being mature , because people get caught up in inches. I’ve seen 2 yr old whitetails that were very decent 5x5’s and those bucks were on their way to being huge bucks at 5 plus

Not every habitat+genics is gonna be same as your spot.
Just saying.

Genetic traits wont be obvious in such a young deer (which that is), and as far as my experiences go, I have found stud bucks in virtually every nook and cranny in n.e. wa., to include every 100 unit.  The habitat is there, in most instances its age class thats the missing link.  Hard to find, yes, without a bunch of effort.

[jrebel]

I've got a 156 inch 28 inch (outside spread) buck on my wall and I would consider it a big buck.   


This buck was killed on a special draw muzzy hunt and to be totally honest.....looking for that "big" buck kind of took the fun out of that hunt.  I passed a lot of very nice, heavy, goofy horned bucks because I had it in my head I wanted one that scores well.  Never ever will I make that mistake again.  The internet and hunting channels have really changed the sport for the worse in my opinion.  I'm not against trophy hunters at all.....it's just not what most hunters get in the game for.  Find the "one" that just makes you happy and drop the hammer.....who cares what it scores.   

[BKMFR]

What makes a Big Buck in my eyes isn't score it's the overall package. I used to be "high score or nothing", regardless of what a lot of people think, Washington does have some pretty decent deer. If I was hunting for score and truly focused on "go big or go home" I would set my sights on 210" plus Mule Deer, but like I said, I've passed that phase, much like jrebel mentioned it took a lot of the fun out of it. Now don't get me wrong, a Big Buck still gets the heart a pumping but so does a successful stock, or a 165" Handgun buck, 180" Archery buck.
Draw tags, general season, different weapons all play a big role in defining a Big Buck to me....

[MADMAX]

If it has any wow factor
For me thats a big buck
Ive only ever had one deer scored
Taxi taped it at 161
Montana tall boy
I’ve always been a meat hunter
If its legal usually Im shooting
Especially general season Wa deer
I like venison 😜

[huntnnw]

How big is this WT.
I guess how big will he be.
It harder to judge than you may think.
Now keep in mind ,bigger buck this time of year will be branching.
Eye guards will be bigger,on a big buck for this time of year.
This guy is kinda small,but still decent.
Probably 3 year old ,maybe.

That deer is 1 or a very little 2 yr old. A whitetail buck that scores over 150” when he’s done will be branching at G3’s by early June . I’ve gotten to watch a ton of big bucks grow over the last 30 years. Here is example of a big buck.. June 4.. this bucked grossed in 170’s. Your genetically blessed deer get shot usually well before being mature , because people get caught up in inches. I’ve seen 2 yr old whitetails that were very decent 5x5’s and those bucks were on their way to being huge bucks at 5 plus

Not every habitat+genics is gonna be same as your spot.
Just saying.

Still doesn’t change that the pic you posted is a 1yr old buck. I don’t have a “spot” I’ve hunted all over NE WA and N ID. Big whitetails are going to have alot antler in early June regardless of where they live. They arent going to be split at g2 in early June and magically start growing 4” a day and 150 plus